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linux help

I just put up SuSE 6.1 and it was a pretty intense moment after about 3 days of figuring things out.My first linux! But that was on an old 486 i have. I really want to put mandrake 8.1 on my compaq, but for some reason, it won't do it. I think it has to do with some built in video card so i put a compatible one in and it still gets the same problems. Does any one know why this is?

Compaq uses proprietary hardware where they embed chips into the hard drives, cdroms, and other devices to ensure that you use only their stuff. See example below:

1: Win98 comes out.
2: Compaq owners are d3l1ght3d! They rush out to buy an off-the-shelf copy for 200 bucks.
3: They come home and gl33fully install it. Everything runs fine through the install.
4: Windows says you have to reboot, so they reboot.
5: Windows never comes up...

Why? Because Compaq users have to have Compaq's version of Windows with all their proprietary shite. Else, it won't work, and you're taking your compaq to a nearby certified compaq repair site. It might have something to do with that but unless I could sit down in front of your machine, it could be anything. Good job on the vid card troubleshooting.

To exit a man page, hit :q (yes, shift ; and then q). Escape might work as well, on some distros.

We the willing, led by the unknowing, have been doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much with so little for so long that we are now qualified to do just about anything with almost nothing.